Cillian Murphy and Tom Holland's $100 million adventure film about the true story that inspired one of the greatest books of all time is now on Netflix

Years before Cillian Murphy won an Oscar for Oppenheimer and Tom Holland's Marvel films broke box office records, the two renowned actors starred together in In the heart of the seawhich is now streaming on Netflix. The 2015 historical adventure film featured many other notable stars. However, Murphy and Holland are without a doubt two of the most in-demand actors in 2025, with Murphy coming off his Best Actor Oscar win and Holland's enduring success with Spider-Man and beyond.

Now, Murphy is ready to return to 28 years laterthe third film of 28 days later series, as executive producer (and possibly on-screen as his character, Jim). Murphy will also reprise his iconic Peaky Blinders paper in The Immortal Mana continuation of the BBC program. Meanwhile, Holland is among the star-studded cast of Christopher Nolan's next film, an adaptation of The Odyssey. And the Netherlands will return in the next quarter without a title Spider-Man film. But if fans want to remember the actors' careers, the only film Murphy and Holland have made together is on Netflix January 1, 2025.

In the Heart of the Sea is about the real wreck of the 1820 whaling ship that inspired Moby Dick

The 2015 film is based on Nathaniel Philbrick's 2000 nonfiction book

Cillian Murphy and Tom Holland In the heart of the sea tells the true story of the sinking of the Essexan American whaling ship in 1820 that partially inspired Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby Dick. Murphy stars as Matthew Joy, the ship's second mate, while Holland plays Thomas Nickerson, the Essexis a cabin boy. Both characters are based on real people who were in the Essex when a whale collided with it, damaging it to the point that it inevitably sank.

THE Essex departed Nantucket in August 1819 on what was supposed to be a two-and-a-half-year whaling voyage. However, a whale attacked the boat after more than a year of travel. On November 20, 1820, the Essex was about 2,000 miles west of the Equator when the whale repeatedly struck the ship, resulting in its sinking. The survivors made do with the wreckage, retreated to smaller whaling boats, and attempted to sail toward the nearest land. Unfortunately, their mission was not very successful.

A lot happened during the three months after the Essex sank, when the survivors tried to stay alive, and it's all documented in In the heart of the sea. THE The true story also partially inspired Melville to write his acclaimed novel Moby Dick. In the book, a sailor, Ishmael, tells the story of Captain Ahab, who seeks revenge against Moby Dick, a whale that mutilated him on his previous voyage.

In The Heart Of The Sea is one of Tom Holland's best first performances before Spider-Man

The historical adventure drama film In the heart of the sea debuted six months before Tom Holland made his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut in Captain America: Civil War. Obviously, Holland's breakout role is as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. However, he had some impressive performances before joining the MCU, such as his role as young Thomas Nickerson in In the heart of the sea in 2015 (and as Lucas in the 2012 disaster film The Impossible).

Ron Howard's film In the heart of the sea didn't receive the best reviews at the time of its release (it has a 42 percent Rotten tomatoes score). However, critics still praised the cast's performance, including Holland's. Even if Holland wasn't the star he is now, many applauded the young actor for his on-screen talent, performing alongside some bigger names. Ultimately, In the heart of the sea showcased Holland's acting skills before people started recognizing him for playing Spider-Man in the MCU.

Netflix's release of In The Heart Of The Sea offers a big chance to redeem its 2015 box office flop

The film only grossed $94 million at the box office

As briefly mentioned above, In the heart of the sea It wasn't exactly a hit with critics, as many had mixed feelings about it. However, the 2015 film was also a box office failure. In the heart of the sea grossed just over US$94 million against a budget of US$100 million, officially becoming a box office bomb despite featuring a stellar cast and a familiar story.

While In the heart of the sea It didn't open in the same week as some heavy hitters, it was surrounded by them, which perhaps contributed to the box office disappointment. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 was released on November 20, 2015, three weeks before the historical adventure film's premiere. More, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (one of the highest-grossing films of all time) opened a week later In the heart of the seawhich means it had a lot of competition in theaters.

Source: Rotten tomatoes